About Ben Selfe
Anyone
wondering how you can be passionate about knot tying, or wax lyrical
about fancy rope work, ought to meet
Ben Selfe. Ben is a local landmark and tourist attraction on the Gloucester & Sharpness
canal, a fender-maker, a raconteur extraordinaire, a spiritualist,
a historian, an author and a devoted member of the International
Guild of Knot Tyers.
His home is a 65ft narrowboat, Knot Krazy, moored at Saul Junction,
alongside a 70ft engineless butty called Lyra, which is his workplace
and shop. In the summer he displays his fancy ropework: fenders, rope
ladders, bell ropes, buttons, tiller tassles, cabin strings and bow
fenders for boats; bracelets, hairslides, door mats, table mats and
coasters for people, and even a replacement rope mechanism for a very
early antique grandfather clock.
Behind the scenes Ben works his fingers to the bone - almost literally
- filling orders from far and wide. His fenders have been despatched
to all parts of the UK, Italy, New York, Holland, Denmark and beyond.
Operating under the name Knot Krazy, Ben makes quality fenders for
discerning boat owners, and likes to say he builds up to a standard,
not down to a budget. Traditionally made, not imported, Knot Krazy
fenders are a quality product made using modern materials and natural
fibres so that they are long-lasting, offer the greatest protection,
and look good too.
Ben’s most recent claim to fame (there are several) is having
been asked to work on the forthcoming film, The Golden Compass, starring
Nicole Kidman and Daniel Craig, also known as James Bond, due for release
on 7 December, 2007, just two days before Ben's birthday. A fantasy
tale, it needed an expert consultant for the rope work and, unexpectedly,
a
qualified
Yachmaster
to skipper
the rented Dutch barge that had a leading role as Ma Costa’s
Barge in the film.
Filming was at Shepperton Studios, on the River Thames and in the
Wash, off Kings Lynn, but when the film makers suddenly discovered
the owner of the Dutch barge was not qualified to skipper it, they
asked Ben in consternation if he knew of anyone who was. Ben produced
the relevant certificate and was duly appointed. Click on the following
links for pictures of Golden Compass: The
Golden Compass and BBC's
Exclusive look at Dark Materials' Lyra
Ben has several relevant certificates. His Yachmaster’s is just
one of them. He is also a qualified Boat Safety
Examiner, a C&G
boat builder, and holds an International Helmsman Certificate.
Born the son of a millionaire, Ben grew up with ropes, probably in
his pram. His father, John, was a self-made millionaire, thanks to
the inadvertent discovery of a way to make breeze blocks before the
Second World War. John left Ben’s mother when Ben was just 9
years old. To give the man some credit, he left Ben with his first
boat too.
The lad had long been hankering after his own boat, but at £15
it was just a dream. Eventually his father said if Ben raised half
the money, he would contribute the rest, probably confident that it
would never happen. Ben promptly started work picking up stones, mowing
lawns, running errands, collecting horse manure from the street for
people’s gardens, you name it, Ben did it, and in a surprisingly
short time he had earned, penny by penny, the £7.10s.0d for his
side of the bargain. His father delivered, but was gone shortly afterwards.
Thereafter, Ben and his mother lived on a run-down farm in relative
poverty.
With his nautical beard, a colourful life on the canal and his skills
as a raconteur, Ben is a true character, of which there are not many
left. Everyone loves a character and this, combined with his work on
The Golden Compass, means he has a tale or two to tell, which has made
him a popular After Dinner Speaker at Yacht Clubs, Women’s
Insitute meetings, on BBC Radio Gloucester, and even teaching knot
tying to
the visually impaired. And not just after dinner! Ben has been delighting
audiences for some time.
With such a wealth of experience, it was almost Ben’s duty to
write a book. Knots for the Cut is to be published in late 2007 or
early 2008 as a manual, and is filled with his knot-tying knowledge
and expertise, conveyed in a friendly, easy-to-follow style. With superbly
clear original diagrams by Helen Gee, Knots for the Cut is aimed at
canal narrowboat owners and other perfectionists. It has the authority
and accessibility of a car manual and is destined to become a classic
of the waterways.
For more information contact Ben on info@knotkrazy.co.uk or
call 07767 880951
Unless otherwise noted all content © Ben Selfe 2007. All Rights
Reserved.
This website created and maintained by TammyLynn |
